Access the Age-Friendly Communities Planning Guide

Access the Age-Friendly Communities Planning Guide

London, City of

AFC Communities - West, Age-Friendly Communities, Age-Friendly Communities Outreach

Community Profile

Name of Committee: Age-Friendly London Network
Population: 422,324 (2021)
Contact:

Funding:

  • Municipal Core Gunding
  • Other Grants
  • In-kind contributions of resources, time, and volunteers from the City of London and partner organizations

This profile was updated in July 2023.

 

Age-Friendly Program Description

The Age Friendly London Network is currently implementing their second Community Action Plan. The AFL Action Plan (2017-2020) addressed the eight focus areas of age-friendliness as defined by the World Health Organization (WHO), in addition to identifying five Network strategies that strengthen the Network as a whole and deepen their impact.

The Age Friendly London Network is a community-based network with the vision of creating a diverse, vibrant, caring, and healthy community, which empowers all individuals to age well and have opportunities to achieve their full potential.

The Network membership is comprised of older adults, representatives from senior-serving organizations, and others who are interested in making London a more age friendly city. The City of London provides the backbone support to the Network although the community is the leader of change. 

Current and Completed AFC Projects, Programs and Initiatives

Outdoor Spaces and Public Buildings

Transportation

  • Guide to Using London Transit (Resource,2018, available in English, French, Arabic, Spanish)
  • Guide to London & Area Transportation (Resource, 2016, available in English, Arabic, Spanish)
  • Bus Buddies (2014 Pilot program that paired Western students with older adults who were using the bus in London for the first time)
  • Cycling Workshops for older adults (Summer/Fall 2018)
  • Longer pedestrian crossing times
  • Cherryhill Community Bus (Bus service specially designed to serve the needs of seniors and persons with mobility challenges that live in the Cherryhill area – a Naturally Occurring Retirement Community)

Housing

Social Participation

Respect & Social Inclusion

  • Anti-Ageism workshop (Presentation & Educational Materials for high school age students on what ageism is and how to combat it)
  • Age-Friendly Business Guide & Checklist (Developed guide & checklist for local businesses)
  • Age-Friendly Category added to Mayor’s Honour List (2018)
  • Inventory of Intergenerational Programs (Produced inventory and best practices of intergenerational programming)
  • Adopt-a-Grandparent Day (Event to provide older adults from local retirement home, who may not have grandchildren nearby, an opportunity to interact with children between the ages of 2.5-5 year. During the hour and a half event, the older adults and children performed and sang songs that they had prepared for each other and participated in various activities together, including a Play Doh and colouring station and a fun craft that one of the older adults had created and brought with her. Together, they also decorated and ate cookies, read stories, and the older adults performed a puppet show. Plans to become a regular event)
  • Every Day Heroes

Civic Participation & Employment

Communication & Information

Community Support & Health Services

  • Inventory of multi-lingual health services & community supports (2017)
  • Community Connector Bags (Distributed to isolated or at risk seniors)
  • Vulnerable Patient Program (Community Partner with London Middlesex EMS)
  • Caregiver Exchange Family Caregiving Forum – Partner
  • Paramedicine Program (The community paramedicine pilot program sends specially trained Lambton County paramedics into the homes of chronic users of emergency medical services. It also provides outreach services for other county residents struggling to access a family doctor.)

 

Community Documents
Accessibility by WAH